Assignment Task: Please ensure that the Reply includes more than 200 words with scholarly articles, and the plagiarism level must remain below 20%.
Endocrine/Osteoporosis
Which patient is least likely to be at risk for osteoporosis?
Out of the four women reviewed, Nehineza, an African American overweight female with a history of uterine cancer in her family, is the least likely to be at risk of developing osteoporosis. The bone mineral density in African American women is higher than that in Caucasian and Asian women, which reduces their risk of osteoporosis in the whole body. Moreover, being overweight leads to increased mechanical loading of bones, as well as increased production of estrogens by adipose tissue, which exerts a protective action on bone decline (Charde et al., 2023). Granted that a family history of specific types of cancer, such as uterine cancer, is clinically significant, it does not directly affect the phenomenon of osteoporosis. Conversely, the remaining women in the sample exhibit higher associated risk factors of early menopause (Skylar), underweight and smoking (Park-Gim-Ka), and a sedentary lifestyle (Cristina), which have been highly related to a reduction in bone density and increased chances of developing osteoporosis.
Which values would be considered osteopenia?
Osteopenia is characterized using an assessment of bone mineral density (DEXA (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) scan), and it is reported as T-scores. A T-score in the range -1.0 and -2.5 indicates that the bone mass is low but not so low that it qualifies as osteoporosis and is therefore diagnostic of osteopenia. A T-score between negative one and one is normal, and a T-score up to negative two and below is categorized as osteoporosis (Xue et al., 2021). Osteopenia is essential to identify, as it brings to focus individuals who may benefit from lifestyle changes and early interventions to prevent the progression of osteopenia into osteoporosis and fractures.
What is the first-line treatment for osteoporosis, and what considerations/recommendations apply?
Osteoporosis can be treated by administering bisphosphonates, such as alendronate, risedronate, or zoledronic acid, as a first-line treatment. Lessening the danger of cracks by augmenting the thickness of the mineral in the bones is the way these drugs accomplish their task by inhibiting bone resorption and increasing bone thickness. Clinicians are expected to evaluate renal failure before initiating bisphosphonate therapy since the drugs cannot be used in patients with severely impaired renal function, such as GFR <30 mL/min. Patients should also have the ability to sit or stand for at least 30 minutes after taking oral bisphosphonates, as failure to do so can result in esophageal irritation.
The process of educating patients should involve instructing them to take the medication with a full glass of water on an empty stomach upon waking, to wait at least 30 minutes before eating or taking any other medicines, and to consume sufficient amounts of calcium and vitamin D (Foessl et al., 2023). Moreover, patients are advised to incorporate routine movements and weight-bearing activities into their lifestyle, and to quit smoking and alcohol intake to achieve the best results in terms of bone health. Need Assignment Help?
References:
Charde, S. H., Joshi, A., & Raut, J. (2023). A comprehensive review on postmenopausal osteoporosis in women. Cureus, 15(11).
Foessl, I., Dimai, H. P., & Obermayer-Pietsch, B. (2023). Long-term and sequential treatment for osteoporosis. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 19(9), 520-533.
Xue, S., Zhang, Y., Qiao, W., Zhao, Q., Guo, D., Li, B., ... & Yang, S. (2021). An updated reference for calculating bone mineral density T-scores. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 106(7), e2613-e2621.